Across the press luncheon there was a door with chairs and as I peaked in someone invited me inside and said the presentation would start in 10 minutes.

Sounded fine to me and I was not in a hurry and I did see there were more boxes of lunches. My lunch box was in a show bag and out of site. The woman pointed to the boxes and said something like, “Grab a lunch and please have a seat.” Well, I am not one to turn down a second free lunch. I grabbed a turkey sandwich box and sat down.

I realized I was in the Sleep Number presentation and about to hear the latest and greatest news about sleep technology. The presenters showed photos and talked about the new technology within the comfortable mattress.

This was the introduction to the Sleep Number x12 bed. I never realized how much tech could be stuffed into mattress.

This was no ordinary bed. This was the new x12 bed with voice command and designed to help anyone get a great night’s rest. It has a computerized monitor and each side has its own controls for couples.

There is also a program to help snorers like me who may need an adjustment in the middle of the night. If one person snores too loud, his spouse could just tell the x12 to raise the mattress and change the snorer’s breathing and hopefully lessen the sounds.

Some bed. However, with a price tag of north of $7,000 I doubt I will ever find this bed in my home.

People in the audience had questions about security of the information used for the bed. Some people are actually afraid that by sleeping on this bed the government may tap into your sleep pattern and check to see if you are actually sleeping or out gathering government secrets. The NSA has made Americans quite nervous it seems.

There was also a question of whether this bed record who actually sleeps in the bed and whether the activity is monitored. The answer is simple: just turn it off and no one will know who did what in the bed and how many positions were used. I doubt the bed is that smart but I do wonder how nice the air cushions would feel while watching TV.

I may go looking for this bed later this week and see how the mattress feels. I may not be able to afford the bed but I can afford a few minutes to lie down and imagine what it would be like to have this bed in my home. I’d like to know my Sleep IQ.

Boston Red Sox’s David Ross tugs on the beard of David Ortiz, left, after Ortiz hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning of Game 1 of baseball’s World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2013, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Game 1 of the NLCS was a hoot for the Red Sox. David Ortiz was robbed of a grand slam by Carlos Beltran — a catch that sent the star right fielder to a hospital with bruised ribs — but Big Papi later hit a two-run homer following third baseman David Freese’s bad throw.

Well, the bad karma did not last for two games as the St. Louis Red Birds won the second game.

]]>https://tsevinnie.wordpress.com/2013/10/25/karma-is-in-the-cards/feed/0tsevinniePoppy goes yard!Boycott Bud… try Grey Goosehttps://tsevinnie.wordpress.com/2013/10/13/boycott-bud-try-grey-goose/
https://tsevinnie.wordpress.com/2013/10/13/boycott-bud-try-grey-goose/#respondSun, 13 Oct 2013 17:18:48 +0000http://tsevinnie.wordpress.com/?p=234Continue reading →]]>I spent several hours watching a game and having some wine. OK.. a whole bottle. The game ended and I collapsed in utter disbelief in my soft recliner. I woke up hours later and Boston was hitless against Detroit. I was still unable to move and soon the no-hitter was gone but Boston still lost. I could care less about the ALCS. I don’t even know how the channel was changed. My dog was running scared after all the shouting. I guess I was doing all the shouting while watching Game 2 of the NLCS.

I still feel numb but at least I did not open that second bottle of wine in the fridge. Oh, but the Grey Goose is apparently now empty. There was just enough for one more gimlet. The Dodgers need to get well at home but I think Magic needs to stop selling anything from St. Louis at Dodgers Stadium. All Los Angeles fans should boycott Bud — horrid stuff anyway. Sell shots of vodka instead. May need it if things do not turn around very quickly.

I work for KSNV News 3 in Las Vegas. I am a New Media Producer managing the station’s website and social media pages.

2. When did you come to Las Vegas? Where were you before? Where did you go to school?

I am originally from Los Angeles, Calif. I have lived in Las Vegas for 13 years. I am a graduate of Humboldt State University in Arcata, Calif., and I also have an Associate’s degree from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh’s online division.

3. What’s your dream job or big career goal?

This is my dream job. I enjoy being a Webmaster for a news television station. I hope to continue this job for a few more years. I know what it is like to be unemployed and I don’t want to go through such a dark period ever again. I do have personal goals of spending time writing fiction and screenplays.

4. Tell us a little about your ethnic background.

I am Hispanic and born a Mexican American citizen. My dad was born in Mexico and my mom is from El Paso, Texas. I was born in Los Angeles.

5. What inspired you to become a journalist or public relations professional?

Growing up in Los Angeles I was a big sports fan and a loyal to the Dodgers, Lakers and the NHL Kings. I grew up with a sports page in my backpack and I was an avid reader of the Los Angeles Herald Examiner. I enjoyed reading sports and I was inspired by many of the writers of the paper. I wanted to know what it was like to cover sports and have a byline in a newspaper. I was a fan of Melvin Durslag, Allan Malamud, Doug Krikorian and Bud Furillo and inspired by their prose.

6. What is the most difficult story you’ve had to cover (or for PR, the most challenging situation you’ve dealt with)? What did you learn from the experience?

I have been lucky in that I have never had to cover a controversial subject. In sports I covered the wins and losses and the people who played the game. Perhaps the hardest story I have covered was not because of the story or subject but because of the conditions of the day. I was covering a semi-final high school football playoff game in South Lake Tahoe in the early 1990s. I was following the Whittell High Warriors who play Tahoe-Truckee High School. It was snowing that day. It was cold and hard to see the action on the field. I normally covered games from the sidelines but for this game I was in the press box above the field. The snow made it very difficult to see the plays and keep track of statistics. The cold made it difficult for me to write. The game came down to one play late in the game when Whittell scored on a short pass to score the winning touchdown. It was the first and only game I have covered under such difficult weather conditions.

7. Of all the stories you’ve covered, which is your favorite and why?

My favorite story was as a sports writer I was given the assignment of writing a feature story on the boxer Hector “Macho” Camacho who was in South Lake Tahoe in the early 1990s for a fight. I met him at a hotel lobby and I we seemed to hit it off right away. He wanted to play a video game so he took out a roll of quarters and starting feeding the machine. I forget what game it was but we played until the entire roll of quarters was gone. We went to his room for the entire view and he ordered room service for the two of us. We ate and talked for a while. I was able to write a nice feature about him. He was quite a character and a person I thoroughly enjoyed meeting.

8. If you could interview any person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

Jackie Robinson, the first African American to break the color barrier in Major League Baseball. I would like to know how he managed to keep his composure under such extraordinary circumstances. He is someone who transcends the game of baseball and a true American role model. I admire him as a fan and as an American.

9. What do you see as the biggest challenge facing journalism or PR today?

One challenge I see is avoiding plagiarism and being original in news coverage. It is too easy today to copy and paste information with today’s technology. The Internet has changed the way society communicates and it seems that young journalists do not have to leave the office to get the scoop on an event or person. The challenge is finding a new twist on a story and avoiding repeating the information that is posted to quickly and easily on web sites and blogs.

10. Why did you join NAHJ Nevada and what do you hope to get out of it?

I joined to network and to meet other journalist in my area. I hope to become more involved with the association and help young journalist in their careers.

11. If you were going to introduce us to the most important people in your life, who would they be?

My parents. My mom is just now learning how to use the Internet and I try to help her understand the basics of web browsing and email services.

12. Tell us a fun fact we probably don’t know about you.

I once participated in the Polar Bear swim in Lake Tahoe. I was a cold 38 degrees and when I jumped in the water it felt like being stung by thousands of cold needles.

Goldberg began her career working in theater and creating characters that became “The Spook Show” and evolved into the hit Broadway show, Grammy® Award-winning album and HBO special that helped launch her career. During her Broadway show, Goldberg grabbed the attention of Steven Spielberg who cast her in “The Color Purple,” her first big-screen role. Since then she has starred in many other films including “Ghost,” “How Stella Got Her Groove Back,” “Girl, Interrupted” and will portray Calliope in her upcoming movie “Black Dog, Red Dog.”

In 2002, Goldberg became part of a very elite group of artists who have won a Grammy® (“Whoopi Goldberg”), an Academy Award® (“Ghost”), a Golden Globe® (“The Color Purple” and “Ghost”), an Emmy® (as host of AMC’s “Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel”) and a Tony (as producer of “Thoroughly Modern Millie”).

Goldberg has also penned many books including the children’s book “Alice,” the best-selling “Book,” “Whoopi’s Big Book of Manners” and “Sugar Plum Ballerinas.”

Goldberg has appeared in a variety of television programs and hosted the Academy Awards®. She currently serves as moderator of “The View” on ABC and recently guest starred on the television programs “Suburgatory,” “The Middle,” “666 Park Avenue” and “Glee.”

Tickets are available starting at $69.95, plus tax and handling fees, and can be purchased by calling the box office at 866-712-9308 or 702-894-7722. Purchases can also be made on-line at http://www.treasureisland.com.

The tradeshow industry has allowed me to shake hands or at least be in the same hall with some of the biggest names in film, televisions, sports and politics.

With the Licensing Expo taking place at the Mandalay Bay this week I could not help but feel a bit sad with the absence of one of the most gracious men I have ever had the chance to meet in person.

Tony Curtis had been one of Las Vegas most popular residents but he was more than just and actor. He was an author and artist as well. Although a bit frail during the last few years of his life he continued to make public appearance. He was a regular celebrity at the Licensing Expo held every year in Las Vegas.

As ill as he may have been he still managed to show up to promote his artwork, sign a few autographs and say hello to his fans. Unfortunately, last year was his final appearance at the Las Vegas trade show.

Curtis, the son of a Bronx tailor and star of such films as “Sweet Smell of Success,” and “The Defiant Ones,” passed away Sept. 29 of last year. He was 85.

I enjoyed watching him sitting in his wheelchair, talking with his fans and still able to flirt with the many women who waited in line to get an autograph, a kiss and a photo with the American film actor.

I was in awe of him because I had always been a fan of his films. “Some Like It Hot” is one of my favorite films. I liked all of his films and I have tried to watch as many of them as I could.

For years I thought he was Harry Houdini until I began to understand what films were all about. I even liked his guest appearance as Stoney Curtis on the Flintstones cartoon series.

That episode debuted in 1965 but I caught it in syndication in the early 70s as a youth growing up in Los Angeles.
I know his presence at Licensing Expo is missed. There is an empty booth where he would have welcomed attendees to his table.

I did managed to say hello to him while taking his photo at the show bit I could never get close enough to shake his hand.

Although his brand is not include with the list of exhibitors at this year’s show, hopefully his brand will return to the show so that a new generation of fans can continue to become acquainted with Curtis.

John Wayne, Elvis and Jim Morrison are still popular draws for fans so I am sure Curtis will always have his following.

]]>https://tsevinnie.wordpress.com/2011/06/17/201/feed/0tsevinnieCurtis_350TonyCurtis_Expo_450Read the latest headlines from TSE. httphttps://tsevinnie.wordpress.com/2011/05/20/read-the-latest-headlines-from-tse-http/
https://tsevinnie.wordpress.com/2011/05/20/read-the-latest-headlines-from-tse-http/#respondFri, 20 May 2011 06:55:02 +0000http://tsevinnie.wordpress.com/2011/05/20/read-the-latest-headlines-from-tse-http/Read the latest headlines from TSE. http://ow.ly/4YsC5
]]>https://tsevinnie.wordpress.com/2011/05/20/read-the-latest-headlines-from-tse-http/feed/0tsevinnieLucky Exhibit is a leading website for bhttps://tsevinnie.wordpress.com/2011/05/19/lucky-exhibit-is-a-leading-website-for-b/
https://tsevinnie.wordpress.com/2011/05/19/lucky-exhibit-is-a-leading-website-for-b/#respondThu, 19 May 2011 23:25:55 +0000http://tsevinnie.wordpress.com/2011/05/19/lucky-exhibit-is-a-leading-website-for-b/Lucky Exhibit is a leading website for buying and selling high quality used trade show booths. #exhibitor2011 http://ow.ly/4nO55 #HDShow
]]>https://tsevinnie.wordpress.com/2011/05/19/lucky-exhibit-is-a-leading-website-for-b/feed/0tsevinnieExhibiTrailers provides custom roadshowhttps://tsevinnie.wordpress.com/2011/05/19/exhibitrailers-provides-custom-roadshow-3/
https://tsevinnie.wordpress.com/2011/05/19/exhibitrailers-provides-custom-roadshow-3/#respondThu, 19 May 2011 22:15:05 +0000http://tsevinnie.wordpress.com/2011/05/19/exhibitrailers-provides-custom-roadshow-3/ExhibiTrailers provides custom roadshow tour vehicles and experiential exhibit trailers of all shapes and sizes. #Vegas http://ow.ly/4nNV3
]]>https://tsevinnie.wordpress.com/2011/05/19/exhibitrailers-provides-custom-roadshow-3/feed/0tsevinnieK & S International, the industry’s trahttps://tsevinnie.wordpress.com/2011/05/19/k-s-international-the-industrys-tra-3/
https://tsevinnie.wordpress.com/2011/05/19/k-s-international-the-industrys-tra-3/#respondThu, 19 May 2011 20:25:04 +0000http://tsevinnie.wordpress.com/2011/05/19/k-s-international-the-industrys-tra-3/K & S International, the industry’s trade show flooring partner. #exhibitor2011 #vegas http://ow.ly/4nOe2 TSE
]]>https://tsevinnie.wordpress.com/2011/05/19/k-s-international-the-industrys-tra-3/feed/0tsevinnieJustice finally servedhttps://tsevinnie.wordpress.com/2011/05/06/justice-finally-served/
https://tsevinnie.wordpress.com/2011/05/06/justice-finally-served/#respondFri, 06 May 2011 00:19:36 +0000http://tsevinnie.wordpress.com/?p=187Continue reading →]]>I am addicted to tradeshows but I always keep my eye on the news and when the news hits the fan it is hard to concentrate on other things in life.

News of the death of Osama bin Laden was a huge victory for the United States and should change the course of war in Afghanistan and Iraq.

it is a mess over there and I am glad to be an American living in Las Vegas.

Yet, it is hard to hear of news from this past weekend and not think back to that awful morning in New York. I was working for a tradeshow publication here in Las Vegas. I was still new to the industry and trying to get my head around pop-up modules and double-deck booths.

The events that transpired that early Tuesday morning will always be fresh in my memory.

Everyone remembers where he or she was when the World Trade Center towers came crashing down.

Now everyone will remember where they were when they heard the news about the Navy Seals who stormed a compound in Abbottabad and killed the most hated man in America.

It was justice served.

Perhaps this is not the place to discuss the events that took place in another American city or in a small town in a country I will never visit, but it goes to show the reach that one man had and the effect his decision had on a city this evil man probably never visited.

When the planes hit the Towers in New York all planes were grounded and McCarran Airport and the Las Vegas Convention Center were placed on high alert.

Tradeshows, conventions and tourism came to a halt that day and Las Vegas’ economy was crippled.

Comdex was expected to give its usual boost to the Las Vegas economy but after the attacks there was talk of canceling Comdex all together.

Comdex was expected to draw upwards of 200,00 attendees to its November Show. Comdex picked up some attendees in the days leading up to the show but final numbers came in at 110,000 attendees. The tech boom head reached its peak and in June 2004, Comdex cancelled the 2004 exhibition in Las Vegas.

According to news accounts, McCarran was averaging more than 3 million passengers a month until the number dropped to 2.1 million in September 2001 and remained below 3 million until March 2002.

Gaming revenue for Clark County fell from $650 million in August 2001 to $595 million in September and stayed below year-ago levels until February 2002.Hotels were discounting rates like car dealers to maintain occupancy levels, which had fallen from 90 percent to about 70 percent.

One evil man can be blamed for the dismal economic figures for that year. Now he is gone and while New York continues to rebuild at Ground Zero, Las Vegas continues to rebuild its tradeshow and tourism economy.

It is hard to believe that one man could create such world-wide terror but now that he is gone, it is my hope that we can work to solve other issues that directly effect us as Americans living in Las Vegas or anytown, U.S.A.

As a I watch President Barack Obama lay a wreath at Ground Zero I look ahead with hope for a peaceful future and a prosperous trade show business. I do know there is much more work to do and peace will not come easy but catching Osama is something President Obama can mark off his bucket list.

See you on the floor!

]]>https://tsevinnie.wordpress.com/2011/05/06/justice-finally-served/feed/0tsevinnieDEAD_bin-laden,-osamaOsama-Obama-450It takes a village to rebuild a resort hhttps://tsevinnie.wordpress.com/2011/04/27/it-takes-a-village-to-rebuild-a-resort-h/
https://tsevinnie.wordpress.com/2011/04/27/it-takes-a-village-to-rebuild-a-resort-h/#respondWed, 27 Apr 2011 22:35:03 +0000http://tsevinnie.wordpress.com/2011/04/27/it-takes-a-village-to-rebuild-a-resort-h/It takes a village to rebuild a resort http://t.co/byveg1s MonteLago Village #Ravella
]]>https://tsevinnie.wordpress.com/2011/04/27/it-takes-a-village-to-rebuild-a-resort-h/feed/0tsevinnieGreat to see this #latin show back in @Vhttps://tsevinnie.wordpress.com/2011/04/11/great-to-see-this-latin-show-back-in-v/
https://tsevinnie.wordpress.com/2011/04/11/great-to-see-this-latin-show-back-in-v/#respondMon, 11 Apr 2011 20:15:10 +0000http://tsevinnie.wordpress.com/2011/04/11/great-to-see-this-latin-show-back-in-v/Great to see this #latin show back in @Vegas. http://ow.ly/4xBwG Lots of great #music #tradeshow
]]>https://tsevinnie.wordpress.com/2011/04/11/great-to-see-this-latin-show-back-in-v/feed/0tsevinnie